All I Want for Christmas
by WinnieTherPooh
Summary: FitzSimmons are getting ready for the first Christmas together, when something bad happens. Hunter doesn't appreciate the Christmas spirit. FitzSimmons, Huntingbird.
1. Chapter 1

"Our first Christmas, Fitz!" Jemma gave her husband a peck on the cheek and smiled like a little girl. "We should decorate. These Playground apartments are _not_ exactly homey, much less in the holiday spirit."

"We should get a tree." Fitz agreed. "And some of those decoration things, what's the word? Wreaths. Those."

Jemma bounced up and down. "Yes, yes! But won't they have a tree in the common area already?"

"Yes. But I want a tree for just us. For just me and Jemma Simmons." Fitz put his arms around her waist and spun her around. "And we're going to celebrate this first Christmas like none before."

Jemma smiled up at him again. "Like none before." She repeated, resting her head on his shoulder. "What will we do first?"

"I think we should drag it out. Make it last a long time. Maybe decorate one thing every day?" Fitz suggested.

"We could make a list!" Jemma suggested, perking up again. "Let me get some paper."

"Don't we need to get permission to bring a tree in? Put that on the list first." Fitz told her. "If we can get it tomorrow, we can start decorating."

"The tree for tomorrow, then." Jemma sat down at the table, scratching onto her notepad. "But we need permission first, which I can get from Coulson tonight."

"We should get Christmas themed tea cups. And candles for the middle of the table." Fitz suggested.

"Definitely the teacups, but candles _are_ a fire hazard." Jemma pursed her lips.

"Aw, come on Jemma. It's Christmas. Besides, you use more hazardous things in the lab every day." Fitz argued back. "And it's not like we're going to keep them lit when we aren't in the apartment."

"All right then." Jemma's winning smile was back again. "Candles it is. I wonder where we could get Christmas teacups?"

"Anywhere." Fitz frowned. "But we need to make sure that they are proper teacups, not just coffee mugs."

"Oh, definitely. Coffee mugs are _not_ the same thing." Jemma agreed. "Shall we go ask Coulson about the tree?"

"Santa hats. We should get those." Fitz said. "Wait, what? Oh, yes, we should. Wouldn't want to break a SHIELD protocol." He grinned mischievously. "Following the rules makes me feel nice."

"Oh, FITZ!" Jemma groaned as she stood up. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I don't know, Jemma. What are you going to do with me?" Fitz asked, leaning in to kiss her.

It soon became common knowledge throughout the team that Fitzsimmons was decorating for Christmas. They were blissfully oblivious of the fact that they were the most talked about item in the lounge after dinner that night, while they secured special permission to leave the base and pick out a tree.

Mack and Hunter were playing a video game, while Daisy was watching them from her favorite chair. "We should do something for them."

"What do you mean?" Mack asked.

"Fitz and Simmons. To help them decorate their apartment." Daisy suggested.

"Well, what do you suggest?"

"Ornaments for their tree, just general decorations, I guess." Daisy shrugged. "I can't think up all the ideas here."

"Yeah, I'm calling dibs on the santa monkey." Hunter said, finally beating Mack in their game. "I win." Throwing down the controller, he leaned his head back and sighed. "You know, all this Christmas talk makes me wish that I actually cared about tinsel and mistletoe."

"You should. I bet Bobbi would like that." Daisy teased him, twisting her ring absently.

"Alright, peace out." Hunter got up and left.

"Touchy." Mack whistled. "I'll bet you that he's going to get some tinsel and mistletoe."

"Hunter? Mistletoe?" Their heads turned as they heard Bobbi's voice from the doorway. "Are you kidding me?"

"We were just joking around-" Mack began to explain.

"There is no _way_ that Hunter does anything with mistletoe and tinsel. I've known him for five years, and he's practically the grinch." Bobbi told them. "Believe me, it would be a Christmas miracle if he did anything beyond a santa monkey for Fitzsimmons."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know, Christmas is over. But I don't want to give up on this story, so here you are. Enjoy some holiday spirit beyond the actual holidays. My goal is to have this finished by the end of January, so please hold me accountable for that. Happy New Year!**

"Fitz, I hate to do this to you." Coulson said, folding his hands on his desk. "I know that you and Simmons have been decorating and planning for this Christmas for weeks, but there's a mission that just came up. I've gone through every scenario in my head, who else I could send, if I could postpone it. But the tech involved is too sensitive for anybody but you. And the timeframe can't be changed, or much worse things will happen."

"You mean I'll be on a mission over Christmas." Fitz said, sitting down across from Coulson. "I'm not going to be here, with Jemma, for Christmas."

"I really wish there was another way for this to happen." Coulson sighed. "But at the very earliest, late Christmas Eve. I know this isn't fair to you, Fitz."

"And there's nobody else who can do the mission? Somebody who hasn't been planning their first Christmas with their wife?" Fitz asked, an edge creeping into his voice.

"There are other people who could _do_ the mission, but it would jeopardize the success of it. You're the only person that I know can pull it all the way through with your tech. I guess you could say no, and absolutely refuse to go." Coulson mused. "But I need you on this mission, Fitz."

Fitz put his head in his hands. "I don't want to do this to Jemma. She doesn't deserve this."

"I'm sorry, Fitz, I really am. But I don't see any other way." Coulson said, passing him the mission details. "I'm sending Bobbi with you. She'll make sure that you get out safely."

"Fine. I'll go." Fitz said, taking the file. "I'm a SHIELD agent. This is what I do."

"I'm sorry about your Christmas, Fitz. Thank you for taking the mission." Coulson said, shaking his hand.

"I didn't have a choice, sir." Fitz said coolly, turning and leaving the room.

"What's going on with Fitz and Simmons?" Hunter asked as he came into the lounge. "They're in the lab, and they're both crying."

"Maybe something that's none of our business and that we shouldn't be spying on?" Mack asked, barely paying attention to him.

"They put Fitz on a mission." Bobbi said, entering the room right behind Hunter. "And Coulson doesn't think he'll be back for Christmas."

There was a heavy, stunned silence in the room. "How could Coulson do that?" Daisy asked the room in general.

"It's not Coulson's fault. There's a time limit, sensitive technology. Fitz is the only one who can handle it, and he knows that. He's a SHIELD agent." Bobbi reminded them.

"How risky is it?" Daisy asked. "If he's going, we have to make sure he comes back."

"It's a mission, Daisy. They're always risky. But I'm going. He'll come back, don't worry." Bobbi reassured them, looking back towards the hallway door, as if trying to see into the lab and check on the heartbroken scientists.

Hunter swallowed hard. "Good for you, Bob."

There was an awkward pause around the room. Bobbi's fingers paused over the truffle she was about to take from one of the santa shaped containers that Jemma had filled and placed around their lounge. "I'm sorry, Hunter. I didn't think you'd mind, I mean, you hate Christmas so much."

"Ouch." Mack snorted. He was about to continue, but Fitz came into the room. Everybody froze, not exactly sure what to do. "Hey, Turbo." Mack finally said, not wanting to offend Fitz.

Fitz was at the hot drinks station, filling up the electric kettle with water. "I'm making some tea for Jemma." He explained. "And could you stop staring at me like I'm some kind of exotic creature? It's not like none of us have ever been put on a mission before."

"We're just trying to make sure you're okay, Fitz." Daisy said carefully. Fitz was already acting uncharacteristically snappy and angry.

"If I'm okay? Of course I'm not okay. Jemma's in there crying her eyes out, I'm going to miss our first chance to make memories after years of it being taken from us, no, I'm not okay." Fitz suddenly shouted, his voice cracking as he broke down at the end. "I'm _not_ okay." Fitz had his back to them, leaning on the counter, his shoulders quivering as he cried.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It's been a while, and it's definitely not close to Christmas anymore, but I'm trying to finish up my fanfics before school starts, so yay you get an update.**

"Hi Jemma." His voice was garbled, distorted, but it was _him._

"Fitz!" She could hear Daisy snicker as she left the room. It was a mystery to the rest of the team, why Fitz called her by her first name, and she continued to call him Fitz. She didn't expect them to know why he hated the name Leo. And she didn't want them to know, either. After all, he hadn't told her about it for years. It was only after they had officially started a romantic relationship that he had revealed his secret. For now, it was something between the two of them, one tiny portion of their relationship that wasn't aired in front of their colleagues. Their friends.

 _"Leo." Her hand cradled around his neck as she kissed him._

 _"No, wait." He protested, and she drew back. "I don't mind if you kiss me, just don't call me Leo."_

 _"Why not?" Jemma asked, cuddling against him. "I'll stop, but can you tell me why?"_

 _"It makes me feel like I'm in trouble." He admitted. "You call me Leo when you're annoyed with me, or you think I'm being pigheaded. And-"_

 _Jemma was laughing. Her laugh was beautiful. "And what, Fitz?"_

 _"It's what my dad called me."_

 _She stopped laughing. His dad was the topic they didn't discuss, not now, maybe not ever. "I'm sorry, Fitz, I didn't know. It's not a bad name. I can say it, and it wouldn't sound bad at all." She whispered his name into his ear, and kissed his cheek._

 _"Yeah?" Fitz said, "It's not so bad like that."_

"Jemma? You still there?"

"Of course, Fitz." Jemma said, coming back to reality in an instant. "What?"

"I'm going to be home for Christmas, Jemma." Fitz said. She could tell by his voice that he was smiling. "It'll be faster than expected, and I'll be home on Christmas Eve."

"Oh, Fitz." She laughed into the phone, "You'll be home?"

"I'll be home."

"Let me talk to Bobbi." Jemma said.

"Oh, really? I just- Bobbi? You don't believe me, do you?"

"Do you fly a quin-jet?" Jemma fired back. "Now get her on the line, Fitz."

A few moments later, Bobbi was reassuring Simmons. "He'll be home for Christmas, I promise, if I have to steal a helicopter, I will get Fitz back to you for Christmas."

"Thank you, Bobbi. And-"

"Yes, I can put him back on the line." Bobbi said. "I'll see you in 24 hours." The line went static, and there was a thud, like the device had been dropped.

Jemma held onto the phone like a lifeline as she heard Bobbi yelling orders. She could hear gunshots. An explosion. Static.


	4. Chapter 4

Jemma was pacing up and down the common room, waiting for Coulson to call her into his office. It had been a few hours since the line had gone dead in her hands. She had reported it immediately, of course, and just as immediately been kicked out of Coulson's office. "I'll update you when we know something."

She had probably worn a path into the floor by now, but she couldn't seem to sit still. Or stand still.

"Jemma? Hunter?" May was standing at the top of the stairs. "Coulson would like to talk to you." Hunter leapt off the couch, bounding up the stairs. Jemma followed him more slowly.

The map of the region where Fitz and Bobbi had gone was displayed on the back wall of the office. There was a greyed out dot where they had gone dark.

"Jemma, Hunter." Coulson was sitting at his desk.

"That's not a good sign." Hunter muttered into Jemma's ear.

Jemma tightened up. "Yes, sir?"

"As you both know, we lost contact with the team a few hours ago. In the hours since, we've been scanning every channel we can find, waiting for them to make contact. They haven't yet, but you shouldn't worry. Bobbi is one of our most competent agents, and it is part of protocol to stay off the grid. We should hear from them within an hour."

"Shouldn't worry?" Hunter burst out. "My wife is out there, and you're telling me that you can't find a single trace of her? Bloody hell, I'm going to be worried all right." Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the office, slamming the door.

Jemma watched him go, and then turned back to Coulson. "Sir? What- what happened? Do we even know that?"

"There was a squad car sent to that area to investigate an explosion at an abandoned factory." Coulson tapped on his desk, and a dash cam video of a burning building was projected. "Local firefighters still haven't been able to extinguish it entirely."

"But why would they have been there? Why would they have called us from the location of their mission? That doesn't make sense." Jemma said.

"Their mission actually took place a few miles from the factory. The factory was their rendezvous point." Coulson said, "We'll keep tracking this, and I'll update you when we have more news. Feel free to pass this on to Hunter."

"Sir?" Jemma said, stopping at the door. "What do you think is going on?"

Coulson sighed. "I don't know, Simmons. I don't know. I'll let you know."

"Ahem." Hunter was standing in the doorway, his arms awkwardly draped with the cheap strings of tinsel that they sold in drugstores. "Do you mind helping me with this? I'm not much for decorations."

"What?" Jemma said, looking up. There was definitely a worn down strip on the floor from her pacing. "Tinsel?"

"I want to decorate the common room, for Bobbi, you know. She likes Christmas, and it'll make her happy when she comes back." Hunter said, "Because they are coming back. You know that, right? Right, Jemma? You know that they are coming back."

"Coulson has officially listed them as missing in action." Jemma said, her chin quivering. Her face ached from the effort of trying not to cry.

The tinsel fell to the floor with a soft swish. Hunter's strong arms encircled the scientist, squeezing her tightly. "They're coming back, Jemma. We've just got to believe in them, all right?"

"All right." Jemma said, quickly brushing her cheeks with her hands. "Now, let's decorate for Christmas, shall we?"

"Look at the time, Jemma. It's 12:04 AM on Christmas Eve. It's already Christmas." Hunter said. "Jingle bells."

"Bobbi said that she'd have Fitz home for Christmas." Jemma said quietly.

"Then she has 47 hours and 56 minutes to fulfill that promise." Hunter said. "Christmas is a two day event, mate."

"But Christmas Eve is so special." Jemma said. "It's when we light candles, and sing carols, and drink tea, and open stockings."

"That's a fair point." Hunter said, "But if Bobbi said that she would have Fitz home for Christmas, he'll be home. We just have to be patient."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: And so it comes to an end. A huge thanks to everybody who has followed this story! Please leave a final review, and I hope I made you happy.**

"Jemma, you should go to bed." Hunter said, yawning widely. "They're not coming tonight. Remember, it's only Christmas Eve. Bobbi still has all day tomorrow to come."

"What if they come while I'm in bed? Fitz will think that I didn't care enough to stay up for him." Jemma said.

"No, he'll think that you were tired and it didn't look like you were coming home so you decided to get some rest so that you could be here when he did come."

"Coulson said that if they don't get in by tonight, he'll officially list them as missing in action. Their mission was slotted to end today." Jemma said, twisting the ring on her finger nervously. "Hunter, what if they don't come?"

"Stop worrying, Jemma." Hunter said. "They'll come." Despite his bravado, there was a hint of fear in the ex-mercenaries eyes. "Just go to bed, and they'll be here when you wake up."

"You can go right ahead." Jemma said stubbornly. "I'll wait here."

"Bloody hell." Hunter grumbled. "I can't just go to bed and let you be the only one here when they get back." Pulling his Santa hat firmly over his ears, he slouched back into his chair.

Jemma sat down as well, pulling the fuzzy blanket that Hunter had rooted out of the CVS over her legs. "There wouldn't be any harm in just closing my eyes for a second, I don't think. Not as long as we're out here, and I wouldn't really be sleeping, only-" There was a strange snort from Hunter, and Jemma realized that he had fallen asleep. Nestling back into her own cushions, she decided to test her own theory and just close her eyes for one moment.

"Do you think we should wake them up?" Bobbi whispered.

"I don't know. Look at her little face." Fitz whispered back. "Do you think they were waiting up for us?"

"Looks like it. We probably gave them a fright." Bobbi said, looking around the common area. "Did the team do this?"

"Hard to say." Fitz said, "But look at that. The curmudgeon doesn't mind Christmas after all, does he?"

"I guess not." Bobbi laughed, just a little louder than she had intended.

Jemma's eyes opened, and she sat up. "What? Where-" She looked up, and bounded off of the couch immediately. "Fitz!"

She was across the room in a second, her arms around his neck, almost knocking him off balance. "Careful there Jems." Fitz said, his crutches falling to the floor with a crash.

The noise woke up Hunter, who pulled the hat even further over his blushing face when Bobbi questioned him about his changed views on Christmas.

"What's wrong, Fitz?" Jemma asked, pulling back just a little after her initial welcome home kiss. "Crutches? And are those stitches on your head?"

"There was a little dust when we got out." Fitz said. "You can check me up later." Pulling her close to him again, he let her head rest on his shoulder. "I'm back for Christmas, Jemma. I know it's not the Christmas Eve you wanted, and I didn't have time to get a present."

"That's all right." Jemma whispered into his ear. "You're here, and you're safe, and that's the best present I could ask for."


End file.
